The Only Enhancer - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 22
Chapter 22 – Why Is This Going Up? (2)
My level had risen out of nowhere.
Though I’d achieved the level increase I’d wanted, bewilderment overwhelmed any sense of joy.
If my level had risen, it should have happened during the raid, but this was strange.
The raid had ended long ago, and I hadn’t seen any System Message even on my way home.
Yet my level had risen after arriving home?
There was no way I’d conducted a raid at home, and the only thing I’d done was reinforcement.
‘What on earth is going on?’
A phenomenon I couldn’t explain.
Moreover, not only had my level increased, but two new skills had been created.
Normally, you start with one initial skill, then gain one additional skill each time your level rises.
Well, I suppose that’s acceptable.
After all, I’d started with three initial skills to begin with.
‘Sigh, what is this?’
Let me calm down and organize the situation.
First fact: my level rose long after the raid ended.
Second fact: it seems Reinforcement Specialists receive two skills each time their level increases.
Third fact: the only thing I’ve done since arriving home is reinforcement.
Putting it all together, this is what I get.
And from observing these facts, I reached a conclusion.
‘Do I gain experience from reinforcement?’
I naturally arrived at this conclusion.
I couldn’t tell if this was unique to Reinforcement Specialists or if other hunters had the same system.
But one thing was certain.
‘I definitely gain experience from reinforcement.’
I couldn’t help but be convinced.
Once I grasped the situation, relief flooded through me, and the tension suddenly melted away.
For a moment I’d tensed up in surprise, but now that I understood, this was actually wonderful!
If my level had risen, there were more things I could do than before.
New skills?
No.
There was something far more important than that.
As my level increases, the effectiveness of existing skills grows stronger.
In other words, my reinforcement success rate also increases.
‘The rate! Let me check the rate!’
I immediately opened the reinforcement probability window.
I couldn’t help but admire what I saw.
[Item Reinforcement]
-Reinforces an item to increase its reinforcement value.
-The higher the level, the greater the success rate.
*0→1 Reinforcement = 100% success rate
*1→2 Reinforcement = 70% success rate, 30% failure rate
*2→3 Reinforcement = 30% success rate, 70% failure rate.
*3→4 Reinforcement = 5% success rate, 75% failure rate, 20% destruction rate.
*Your level is insufficient to perform 5 Reinforcement.
“Wow.”
The 2 Reinforcement success rate had increased by 20% from 50% to 70%, and the 3 Reinforcement success rate had jumped by a full 20% to reach 30%.
With this, using the Reinforcement Artisan’s Blessing would bring it up to a whopping 40%.
But that’s not where it ends.
‘Wasn’t the 4 Reinforcement rate originally 0.1%?’
It had skyrocketed to 5%, and with the Reinforcement Artisan’s Blessing, it became 15%.
Still a slim chance, but compared to 0.1%, it felt like a fairy tale probability.
However, the destruction rate had become 20%.
With that, I’d probably hesitate before attempting 4 Reinforcement.
Still, what more could I ask for?
Up to 3 Reinforcement should now be safe, and I could succeed consistently.
Since my level had increased, my mana consumption had decreased, and my mana pool had grown, so this was ultimately an enormous boost.
If item reinforcement improved this much, what about my other skills?
The buff skill Physical Reinforcement didn’t matter much, but the Reinforcement Artisan’s Blessing was crucial.
‘How much did the Reinforcement Artisan’s Blessing improve?’
[Reinforcement Artisan’s Blessing]
-When activated, increases reinforcement success rate by 10% for 1 hour.
-Can be used once every 16 hours.
I checked the Reinforcement Artisan’s Blessing right away, but unfortunately the success rate hadn’t increased.
I’d have to be satisfied with just the reduced cooldown.
“Tsk.”
Still, it was hard not to feel disappointed.
No, actually, this was good.
The new skills would be incredible.
Just look at the skill names—Mana Reinforcement and Light of Reinforcement.
Anyone could tell they sounded impressive.
First, let me check Mana Reinforcement, which appears to be a buff skill.
[Mana Reinforcement]
-Temporarily enhances the power of mana-consuming skills of the reinforced target.
-As the level increases, the enhancement magnitude and duration extend.
‘Oh!’
Just as I’d expected.
Unlike Physical Reinforcement, this skill enhanced abilities that utilized mana.
Now I could also buff magic-type dealers and archer-type hunters with this.
I was about to move on to the next skill—Light of Enhancement.
But why did something feel off?
‘Hmm, something’s bothering me.’
For some reason, I didn’t close the Mana Reinforcement skill window and read the description again.
Reading it again wouldn’t change anything about the description.
But then I caught something that stood out.
‘It consumes mana to enhance the power of the skill used…?’
Nothing particularly special about the skill description.
Then something suddenly flashed through my mind.
Item Enhancement was also a skill that consumed mana to use.
Enhancing power meant increasing damage or effects, didn’t it?
Then what about Item Enhancement?
‘Could it be…? Does it enhance the success rate?’
As my thoughts reached that point, goosebumps erupted across my skin.
Did the success rate increase like the blessing of an Enhancement Master?
If so, that would be absolutely absurd.
I definitely needed to test this.
Only then would I be certain.
But for some reason, I had a feeling it would work.
I’d test it later—first, let me check the final skill, Light of Enhancement.
‘Phew. What kind of skill is Light of Enhancement?’
Just from the name, I couldn’t quite picture it.
My imagination wasn’t cooperating.
Light of Enhancement—did it refer to the light that appeared when enhancing items, or the light emanating from enhanced equipment?
I’d know once I checked.
[Light of Enhancement]
-Can absorb the light from equipped enhanced items.
-Mana recovery amount increases by the value of the absorbed light.
-By designating the absorption amount, the enhancement level of enhanced items can be made to appear lower on the surface.
“Huh?”
I didn’t understand at first and read the description again.
And the more I understood, the wider my eyes grew.
‘So… it absorbs the light from enhanced items and increases mana recovery?’
And it seemed the absorbed light wouldn’t be visible to others.
In simple terms, I could absorb the brilliant blue light emanating from a +3 item and make it appear like a +2 or +1.
It even seemed possible to make it appear completely unenhanced.
And it increases mana recovery by that amount?
This was exactly what I needed—constantly struggling with insufficient mana whenever I enhanced items.
It appeared at precisely the right moment.
‘And on top of that, I could create high-enhancement items and hide them while carrying them around?!’
Since I couldn’t access information about items worn by other hunters, most people identified enhanced equipment by the light it emitted.
But now that I could control that light, Min-jun would be able to manipulate how others perceived his gear.
And on top of that, my mana recovery had increased as well.
It was truly the icing on the cake.
To think I’d achieved this much growth just by advancing from Level 1 to Level 2.
I felt an overwhelming sense of emotion.
But with that came a new set of concerns.
‘I understand I gain experience from enhancing items, but do I really need to go on raids anymore?’
I’d discovered a way to level up without taking unnecessary risks.
Theoretically, I could go to the Hunter Market, buy a mountain of unenhanced items, and gain massive amounts of experience just from enhancing them.
But that approach had its own problems.
‘Buying and selling unenhanced items might work at first, but if I keep repeating it, eventually I’ll get caught.’
I wouldn’t be going on raids, yet I’d constantly be selling enhanced equipment.
And buying loads of unenhanced items only to sell enhanced ones?
Anyone would find that suspicious.
Besides, the Hunter Association managed all purchase channels.
I might get away with it initially, but eventually I’d be discovered.
If I reached Level 5 by the time I got caught, I could ignore it all, but realistically that was impossible.
Moreover, advancing from Level 2 to Level 3 was far harder than going from Level 1 to Level 2.
If it took an average of six months to a year to go from Level 1 to Level 2, reaching Level 3 took an average of five years.
Even Han Tae-jun, who’d done it fastest in Korea, had taken three years and still hadn’t reached Level 3.
If I could see an experience bar, I wouldn’t be worrying like this, but the system didn’t permit that much.
‘Should I buy hundreds of unenhanced items at once and enhance them all?’
If I did that, there was a decent chance I’d reach Level 3.
But I didn’t know how much experience I’d gain from enhancing, and it was uncertain whether reaching Level 3 would give me enough power to protect myself.
Buying hundreds of unenhanced items would be suspicious behavior in itself.
It was too risky to gamble on.
‘If I control the quantity, it might work to some extent, but if I’m not careful, I’ll still get caught.’
But I couldn’t just buy items, enhance them constantly, and not sell them either.
Because then I’d run out of money.
‘I can’t avoid raids entirely.’
I couldn’t avoid them completely, but I no longer needed to go on long-term raids like this one.
One of Min-jun’s reasons for raiding had been experience gain.
To grow quickly and eventually move about freely, untouchable by anyone.
But now that I’d figured out how to obtain experience,
once or twice a month should be sufficient.
At least until I ran out of items to enhance.
Whether it was because my level had increased or because I’d matured somewhat, my mind was working faster in this direction.
And besides,
‘I should hide the fact that my level increased, right?’
It had only been just over two weeks since my awakening.
Even if word got out that my level had risen, it wouldn’t be strange.
I was frustrated by how much I had to hide, but I endured it as best I could.
‘It’s better to be frustrated than to be exposed before I’m strong enough and get pushed around by the Large Guilds.’
Why hadn’t I seen many cases like that?
Stories of hunters with exceptional potential getting affiliated with some organization and being manipulated this way and that when they lacked power.
It was a famous tale on Hunter Net.
Of course, there were opinions that it would be fine if you joined one of the Large Guilds or the Top 5 Guilds, but Min-jun’s situation was different.
He possessed a skill capable of enhancement that was absolutely unique.
If that became known? He might never escape from someone’s grasp.
That was something I refused to accept.
I didn’t want to experience being toyed with in someone’s hands ever again.
Whether it was a Large Guild or the Top 5 Guilds.
‘I’d rather build it myself.’
I had no intention of ever serving under anyone.
If it came to that, I would build it myself.
Min-jun etched that resolve into his heart and organized his thoughts.
To summarize: to hide being an Enhancement Master, I’d need to participate in raids to some degree, and during that time, I’d also have to hide my level.
At first glance, it seemed impossibly complicated, but it was actually simple.
Hiding that I’m an Enhancement Master just meant not getting caught performing enhancements, and as for my level, there’s no way it would be discovered if I’m careful during level measurements or when using skills.
In other words, there’s no risk of being discovered just by going on raids.
In fact, the probability of being discovered increases if I don’t go and instead buy and sell items.
‘I’ll plan to keep going on raids, and since I’ve been on one recently, I’ll focus on enhancements for a while and look for a home.’
I obtained no fewer than fifteen items from this Long-term Raid.
So should I experience the success rate of enhancement firsthand?
I also need to check how much my mana recovery has increased.
I’d already decided what to enhance.
‘There’s nothing better than this to feel the difference!’
None other than enhancing a +2 item!
How much bitter wine had I drunk all this time.
Wasn’t it all because of this threshold that I’d sworn off raids after failing for an entire week?
The success rate used to be only 10%, but now it’s different.
Even without using the Enhancement Master’s Blessing, it’s a full 30%!
This is definitely doable!
Min-jun trembled slightly as he reached to pull out a +2 accessory.
Something felt ominous.
‘The timing doesn’t feel right. Let me enhance something else.’
With that feeling, Min-jun pulled out a safer +2 item instead of the +2 accessory.
[Black Scale Serpent’s Breastplate]+2
-A breastplate woven from the sturdy scales of a Black Scale Serpent.
-Defense increased.
Exactly the kind of option you’d expect from a mid-tier item.
Though I felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding and decided to hold off on the accessory, Min-jun called out with hopeful eyes.
“Item enhancement.”
Min-jun watched simultaneously as the orb of light slipped from his hands and how rapidly his mana drained away.
Thanks to Blessing of the Sea reducing mana consumption by 30%, what used to drain 60% before leveling up was now reduced to 42%, allowing me to attempt twice with full mana after using Blessing of the Sea.
Now that I’d leveled up, how much would it consume?
I focused intently and felt the mana slipping away.
I could roughly gauge it.
‘15%? Or maybe around 14%?’
Without Blessing of the Sea, it would be roughly 20%.
Once Min-jun confirmed this, he concentrated on the radiant blue-tinged orb of light.
Just how much would the increased success rate be noticeable?
With that thought, I observed.
Fsssssh.
The radiant blue light extinguished like a candle dampened by water, and the light vanished.
It was a phenomenon Min-jun knew better than anyone.
Tch.
I ground my teeth without realizing it, but it was fine.
The mana consumption had decreased, and the probability had increased.
Just in case, I didn’t activate the Blacksmith’s Blessing.
The same went for mana enhancement.
Right now I was trying to test the success rate.
The enhancement continued into the second and third attempts.
But then.
Fsssssh.
Fasssh.
After failing three times in a row, Min-jun was smiling, but his eyes were nothing short of sinister.
Is this what the eyes of a malevolent spirit look like?
Thinking this was the last one, I proceeded to the fourth enhancement.
Whoooooosh——!
The radiant blue light enveloped the entire room, and soon that light settled into the item, illuminating it with a soft glow.
Success at last!
[Black Scale Breastplate]+3
-A breastplate woven from sturdy, lightweight black scales.
-Light and absorbs light well, making it good for concealing the body.
-Defense increased.
-If you possess any shout-related skills, the skill ‘Intimidate’ becomes available.
Yet Min-jun’s expression remained poor.
Not only was the skill that appeared as an option unusable for Min-jun, but it had succeeded exactly according to probability.
‘Thank goodness I didn’t equip any accessories.’
It was a far better rate than the previous 10%, but I still wasn’t satisfied.
Getting results according to probability just felt off somehow.
It was probably because of that.
‘The luck here is terrible.’
I clicked my tongue and paused for a moment to think.
There were still more experiments to conduct, but with the luck being this bad, should I stop and go look for a home instead?
I shook my head.
‘Still, I should use up all my mana.’
I could always look for a home later.
My remaining mana was roughly 44%.
If I enhanced a tier 2 item, I could manage about three more attempts.
In the past, that many attempts could have all failed.
But even if they all failed now, it would be fine.
That would just prove the luck in this place really is terrible.
‘Should I go ahead?’
I was about to start enhancing when my phone suddenly vibrated.
Breaking my flow right when I was about to enhance—how inconsiderate.
‘Who could it be?’
Since there was no one I particularly expected to hear from, I was going to ignore it and continue enhancing, but since my flow was already broken, I decided to check it anyway.
An unfamiliar number.
But the content was from someone I already knew.
[This is Han Tae-jun. I apologize for reaching out without prior contact. Do you have a moment to spare?]
“Ah.”
A message from someone I’d completely forgotten about.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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